Vacuum breaker



W. C. SHANLEY I VACUUM BREAKER June 6, 1939. 7

Filed Feb. 15, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 //?z e/22bz ZZZZZZQM/ 6. Sim/slay,

June 6, 1939. w. c. SHANLEY 2,161,204

VACUUM BREAKER F-iled Feb. 15, 1955 a Sheets-Sheet s M J lllllm 3 m 0 I //ZI/A l ylll/drfllzvl/lly/ I III Patented June 6, 1939 PATENT OFFICE VACUUM BREAKER William 0.

The Imperial Shanley, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Brass Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application February 15, 1935, Serial No. 6,761

'7 Claims.

My invention is concerned with vacuum breakers, adapted to be used primarily in the piping between flush valves and water-closet bowls, or in water-closet tanks and elsewhere where needed to prevent the possibility (in case a vacuum should occur in a supplypipe, which is usually associated with a plurality of tanks or valves) of contaminated water from a bowl or a tank being sucked into the supply pipe and possibly spreading disease.

The need for such vacuum breakers has been recognized for some time, and some have been installed in which an air inlet with a check valve in some form has been located, say, in the pipe leading from the flush valve to the bowl. These, however, involve the use of amoving part which can stick or otherwise get out of order, and which usually provide an air'inlet of too small an area to be very efficient, and which cannot be large enough to permit of its breaking a vacuum even if the internal mechanism of the flush valvebe removed, the capability of doing which is now a requirement for such devices in some up to date municipalities.

My invention is concerned with a type of vacuum breaker which can be so designed as to fulfil this requirement, and which shall have no moving parts, and which shall be efficient in its vacuum-breaking function if occasion arises, and 30 which shall in no way interfere with the normal flushing operation. In some forms, it improves the operation of standard types of flush valves in reducing the noise of its operation over that occurring when it is not employed. 7

To illustrate my invention, I annexhereto three sheets of drawings in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures, of which,--

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a flush valve and 0 bowl having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the vacuum breaker shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same form modi- 45 fied to adapt it for use with the blow-out type of bowl;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views in section on the lines 4-4 and 5-5 of Fig. 2;

. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a much sim- 50 plified form of my invention.

Figs. 7 and 8 are similar vertical sections of two modifications having substantially the same general design, but with that shown in Fig. 8

55 designed for use with a blow-out type of bowl;

Fig. 8a is a plan view of the disk 60 shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 9 is a central vertical section of still another modification of my generic invention; and

Fig. 10 is a section on the line lll-l0 of Fig. 9. 5

In Fig. 1, I have shown a portion'of the connection 2| between a supply pipe and a flush valve 22 of a standard type with my novel vacuum breaker 23 secured between its outlet and the pipe 24 leading to the customary bowl 25. In its sim- 10 plest form, shown in Fig. 6, the inlet member 26 is shown as of the general type of a tube which may have the flange 21 on'its upper end to facilitate its being secured to the valve 22 by the connection nut 28. Its lower end is tapered, as shown, 15 to form a nozzle 29 from which the water is discharged in the flushing operation into and through the concentric circular opening formed by the inner edge of the flange 30 projecting inwardly and downwardly from the interior of the 20 generally cylindrical outer casing 3|, which, in the specific form shown, takes the form of a casting with an inwardly projecting internally-threaded flange 32 near its top with which the externallythreaded portion 33 of the member 26 co-operates. The flange 32 has a plurality of air-inlet apertures 34 therein to admit air, which is sucked down during the flushing operation by the movement of the water passing from the nozzle 29 to the outlet formed by the inner edge of the 30 flange 30. When the vacuum is to be broken, the suction caused by it carries the air upward through the nozzle 29, as indicated by the arrows, to relieve it. For the greatest efficiency in operation and the reduction of noise, a very nice rela- 3 tion must exist between the nozzle 29 and the flange 30, i. e.,.the distance between them and the consequent area of the annular passage formed thereby must have a rather definite relation to the area of the air-inlet apertures. As a ready means of making an accurate adjustment, I have provided the threaded relationship shown between the inlet member and the outer casing, which are connected at their top and bottom, respectively. to the flush valve v22 and the conduit 24 by any suitable means. Of course, this threaded connection between the two elements need not be employed.

In Figs. 2, 4 and 5, I have shown the preferred form of my invention, specifically designed to be used with the Syphon-jet bowl; wash-down with jet; reverse-trap bowl and various other receptacles which have a back pressure of approximately ten pounds on a working pressure of eighty pounds. Toproduce a structure with as few separable parts as possible, I form the connection 27 at the upper end of the inlet member 26 integral therewith, and preferably locate just below it the perforated disk 35, sweated on its seat. Below this is the tapered portion 36 leading to the nozzle 29 a further reduction being secured by the lower tapered portion 31. The exterior of the inlet member 26 conforms generally to the interior, but I form the preferably abrupt shoulder 38 to space the lower portion of the member away from the air-inlet apertures 3 formed in the upper portion of the outer casing ti which is of a generally tubular shape and is threaded, as shown, onto the inlet member 26 so as to clamp between its upper end and the offset 38 of the inlet member the inturned upper end of the skirt, shaped substantially like a bell, as shown, and serving to prevent the accidental passage of any foreign substance through the airinlet apertures 3%. Threaded onto the central part of the inlet member 26 is the tubular apron ll], which is spaced some distance from the nozzle 25 by reason of the offsets H and 42 formed on the exterior thereof. When the parts are finally assembled, the casing 3H and apron 40 are sweated onto the inlet member 26 to prevent possible maladjustment of the parts, as for the best action they must have a definite relationship between them. The casing 3| has the inwardly and downwardly directed flange 3|] which, as shown, preferably has the tapered portion 33 and the vertical portion 44 which, co-operating with the end of the nozzle, forms an annular passage having an area of definite relations, as shown, to that of the air-inlet apertures 34 If the internal diameter of the nozzle 29 is three quarters of an inch, a suitable diameter for the outlet portion 44 is seven eighths of an inch.

The operation of the vacuum breaker in flushing is as follows: The flushing water passing down has its area reduced by the nozzle so that it passes across the gap to the outlet with sufficient velocity so that there is no danger of its backing up and reaching the air-inlet apertures Se through which some air is sucked and carried down with. the flush water. The tapered surface 53 insures that any water from the nozzle that hits the flange will be thrown back into the space between the nozzle and the apron 40, and cannot possibly splash out of the apertures 34 When it becomes necessary to break a vacuum, the perforated disk 35 offers some resistance to the suction, although the combined area of the perforations is such that the water flows freely to the nozzle in flushing, but for certainty in breaking the vacuum under extreme conditions, reliance is placed on the great area of the passage through which the air travels, as shown by the arrows, the combined area of the air-inlet apertures 3 being preferably fifty per cent. greater than that of the annular passage between the nozzle Zit and the flange 30 which in turn is greater than that of the nozzle.

In Fig. 3, I show the same general design, but as necessarily modified to take care of the greater back pressure produced with the blow-out type of bowl. The size of the nozzle 29 is necessarily very much reduced to increase the speed and consequent pressure needed to cope with the very high back pressure sometimes occurring with this type of bowl, and the area of the outlet 44 is correspondingly reduced, and it is lengthened as shown. As the splashing is much more violent due to the higher back pressure, the apron 40 is given a greater area by giving it the truncated conical shape to insure any splashings being caught, and if by any chance water should tend to splash out of the air-inlet apertures 34*, the downwardly and inwardly projecting flange 45 is designed to intercept it.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown my present generic invention as applied to the general type of vacuum breakers shown in my application No. 737,464, where the flushing stream consists of an outer annular portion with a smaller solid portion concentric therewith. In this form the various parts correspond substantially with the structure shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, as indicated by the use of the same reference numerals for similar portions, the exponents c and d for Figs. 7 and 8, respectively, being added, but a small tube 46 is secured, preferably by threading, as shown, in the perforated disk 35. A shoulder thereon contacting with the under side of the disk 35 insures the tube and nozzle being in proper relationship, as the disk 35 and the tube 46 will both preferably be sweated in place. The lower end of the tube 46 extends somewhat below the bottom of the nozzle 29, and the area of the outlet 44 is proportioned, as before, to the diameter of the discharge from the nozzle 29, the diameter of the outlet being slightly greater than that of the nozzle. The action is the same as that of the preferred structure shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 8, I employ the same combination of elements as are found in Fig. 7, but inasmuch as it is intended for use with the blow-out type of bowl, the nozzle 29 is materially reduced in size, as shown, and the outlet 44 is correspondingly reduced, and the size of the apron 4B is somewhat enlarged for the same purpose as described in connection with the operation of the form shown in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 9 and 10, I have shown still another modification of my generic invention, in which the structure of the preferred form shown in Fig. 2 is modified by forming the inwardly projecting flange 30 of a separate member 3% threaded in place so that the intermediate disk 56 may be screwed in place. It has an auxiliary nozzle 58 into which the nozzle 29 discharges and the air passes through it by way of the ring of apertures 51 therein having a combined area substantially that of the inlets 34*, also through the space between the nozzle 29 and the disk 56. The nozzle 58 in turn discharges into the outlet M in the member 36 As before, the same reference numerals with the h exponent designate similar parts.

I have also illustrated in Fig.8 a perforated disk 60 secured, on the nozzle 29 preferably just below the air inlets 34 to reduce the noise during the flushing operation. The total area of the perforations in the disk 60 is less than that of the air inlets 34 but greater than that of the nozzle 29 with the result that the noise of the air drawn into the vacuum breaker is muffled by the baffling action of the disk 60. This same muflier might be applied to other forms where needed.

While I have shown and described my invention as embodied in the forms which I at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understood that it is capable of modifications, and that I do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims except as maybe necessitated by the state of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a vacuum breaker, thev combination with a central tubular member adapted to form part of a conduit and having its lower end forming an orifice through which flushing water is adapted to be discharged downwardly into the conduit, of a casing forming part of the conduit and surrounding the member and spaced away from it at the orifice, said casing having an air inlet or inlets in it where it is spaced away from the member and the lower end of the casing being contracted to form an outlet by a tapered portion, 'and'an apron between the member and the casing and having its lower portion spaced from both so as to form an annular passage from the inlets to the orifice and an annular space between the apron and the member into which water from the nozzle hitting the tapered portion will rebound.

2. In a vacuum breaker having no moving parts, the combination with an inlet member having its internal cross-sectional area reduced to form a nozzle through which water is discharged forwardly, of an outer casing having air inlets in a portion surrounding and spaced away from the nozzle and having a portion beyond said nozzle forming an outlet with the edge of the out let cooperating with the nozzle to form a passage, through which passage air from the inlets is sucked forwardly with the water when flushing and through which air is passed rearwardly through the nozzle in breaking a vacuum, and an apron surrounding the nozzle in the space between the end of the nozzle and the air'inlet, the portion of the casing forming the outlet having its upper surface downwardly inclined, to deflect any water striking it into the space between the nozzle and the apron.

3. In a vacuum breaker having no moving parts, the combination with an inlet member having its internal cross-sectional area reduced to form a nozzle through which water is discharged forwardly, of an outer casing having air inlets in a portion surrounding and spaced away from the nozzle and having a portion beyond said nozzle forming an outlet with the edge of the outlet cooperating with the nozzle to form a passage, through which passage air from the inlets is sucked forwardly with the water when flushing and through which air is passed rearwardly through the nozzle in breaking a vacuum, an apron surrounding the nozzle in the space between the end of the nozzle and the air inlets,

and a small flange projected inwardly from the casing just below the air inlet.

4. In a vacuum breaker having no moving parts, the combination with an inlet member having its internal cross-sectional area reduced to form .a nozzle through which water is dis charged forwardly, of an outer casing having air inlets in a portion surrounding and spaced away from the nozzle and having a portion beyond said nozzle forming an outlet with the edge of the outlet cooperating with the nozzle to form a passage through which air from the inlets is sucked forwardly with the water when flushing and through which air is passed rearwardly through the nozzle in breaking a vacuum, and a tube smaller than the nozzle secured therein concentrically with the casing outlet and supported by a perforated plate in the inlet member above where the cross-sectional area is reduced. 5. A vacuum breaker as defined in claim 4 in which a perforated baflie disc surrounds the nozzle below the air inlets.

6. In a vacuum breaker, the combination with an inlet member having its internal cross-sectional area reduced to form a nozzle through which water is discharged forwardly, of an outer casing threaded on to the inlet member and having air inlets in its upper portion surrounding and spaced away from the nozzle and having a portion beyond said nozzle forming an outlet with the edge of the outlet cooperating with the nozzle to form a passage through which passage air from the inlets is sucked forwardly with the water when flushing and through which air is passed rearwardly through the nozzle in breaking a vacuum, and a protective skirt of thin material surrounding the air inlets and secured in place by having its inwardly directed flange caught between the inlet member and the outer casing where they are threaded together.

7. In a vacuum breaker having no moving parts, the combination with an inlet member secured tothe bottom of a flush valve outlet and including two concentric tubular portions, one of which has a funnel shaped upper end forming V a nozzle through which water is discharged forwardly, of an outer casing having air inlets in the portion surrounding and spaced away from the inlet member andwell back of the lower ends of the tubular portions, and having a portion beyond said ends forming an outlet with the edge of the outlet cooperating with said ends to form passages through which air from the inlets is sucked forwardly with the water when flushing, and through which air is passed rearwardly through the nozzle when breaking the vacuum, and a perforated plate secured in said inlet member just above where the funnel begins.

WILLIAM C. SHANLEY. 

